
Latest Articles about Middle East

A Portrait of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri: The Last Ba’athist
Over the months that followed the invasion of Iraq in 2003, most of the prominent figures of Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist regime and his family members were killed, captured or fled the country. The most senior member of the regime who survived that critical period was... MORE

Mu’ammar al-Qaddafi’s Last Line of Defense: A Profile of Khamis al-Qaddafi
Khamis al-Qaddafi, son of Mu'ammar Qaddafi and leader of the Khamis Brigade Libya’s most important military commander has no combat experience and has achieved his rank through nepotism rather than merit. His first active command involved attacking unarmed civilians and ex-members of his own military,... MORE

From 9/11 to Iraq: The Long Arm of Saudi Arabia’s Suliman al-Elwan
Abdulaziz al-Omari, one of the five hijackers on board American Airlines Flight 11 that crashed into the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Center on 9/11, devoted part of his final will and testament to the shaykhs (religious scholars) who provided him rigid religious... MORE

The Kremlin Spins Conspiracy Theories Explaining Revolutions Away
The shockingly violent civil war in Libya has pushed the Russian leadership to re-evaluate the nature and the impact of the revolutions that keep shaking the Arab world. Worries in the Kremlin are very different from concerns in Washington about the departure of such loyal... MORE

Update on African Mercenaries: Have Darfur Rebels Joined Qaddafi’s Mercenary Defenders?
*For more on African mercenaries in Libya, read Andrew McGregor's "Special Commentary: Can African Mercenaries Save the Libyan Regime?"

After Mubarak: Egypt’s Islamists Respond to a Secular Revolution
When Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi took the stage in Tahrir Square on February 18, it was the first time in decades that the leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood and influential Doha-based TV commentator on Islamic issues had spoken publicly in Egypt. Before hundreds of thousands... MORE

Southern Gas Corridor Risks Loss Of Strategic Focus
“Achieving the objectives of the Southern Corridor,” in the European Commission’s phrase (EurActiv, February 19), implies commitment to its strategic purpose. This is to supply countries along the Nabucco project’s route, from Bulgaria to Austria and Germany, with Caspian gas, thus reducing those countries’ dependence... MORE

Special Commentary: Can African Mercenaries Save the Libyan Regime?
In recent days there have been reports that the Libyan regime of Mu'ammar al-Qaddafi has resorted to the use of foreign mercenaries to slaughter unarmed civilians protesting over four decades of rule by Qaddafi and his family. The Libyan government has been clear from the... MORE

Anti-Government Protests in Yemen: An Opportunity for Unity or a Catalyst for Further Unrest?
Special Report from Yemen

Special Commentary: Is Libya Headed Toward a Prolonged Civil War?
It did not take long for Libya to follow the path of its neighbors, with popular uprisings in Tunisia to the west and in Egypt to the east. The Libyan ‘uprising’ which started on February 17th, continues as of the writing of this piece. (Opposition... MORE